Asbestos, which encompasses a set of six naturally occurring silicate minerals, has long been praised for its fireproofing and insulating properties. Throughout much of the 20th century, asbestos was used in more than 3,000 construction materials. Many of these products have created hazards for households all around the world as the toxic mineral has been linked to several asbestos-related diseases such as pleural mesothelioma. Exposure to asbestos typically occurs by inhaling airborne asbestos fibers after asbestos-laden materials have been disturbed.
The six different types of asbestos are divided into two distinct groups – serpentine and amphibole.
The peoples of ancient Greece and Rome were mesmerized by the qualities of asbestos. The Greeks used it readily in wicks to light their temples and it is said that the Roman Emperor Charlemagne threw his woven asbestos tablecloth into the fire to clean it, amazing his guests as it emerged unscathed and sparkling white. It enjoyed all sorts of other uses as well and all marveled at its heat- and fire-resistant properties and its durability.
However, even the ancient civilizations recognized the dangers of dealing with asbestos. Author and naturalist, Pliny the Elder ((23-79 A.D.) told of the pulmonary diseases and early death of the slaves who worked the asbestos mines. Perhaps Pliny’s warnings were heard as, eventually, asbestos use decreased and was rarely used in the coming centuries.
The Industrial Revolution once again made asbestos a popular material, despite past warnings about its safety. Suddenly, as factories were springing up in every corner of the United States, companies were looking for ways to protect the facilities and their employees from the heat and high temperatures emitted by the new “machines” that helped make all the products that were suddenly being mass produced. Asbestos materials could be found wrapped around pipes and pumps, boilers, turbines, generators and wires, and was in a host of other items, including so-called protective clothing. While it was obviously intended to protect, it was causing harm instead.
Occupational safety and health wasn’t a huge priority in the decades that followed the Industrial Revolution. By the early 20th century, however, doctors and researchers began to recognize the dangers of the mineral and the connections it had to workers who were developing severe pulmonary problems. They began spreading the word but were promptly quieted. However, there is proof that asbestos products manufacturers were aware of the negative impact the mineral was having on the health of those who worked with it, but they refused to reveal the truth about the mineral. Their negligence caused many unnecessary deaths.
Soon, however, it became readily apparent that asbestos was a killer. High rates of pleural mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases were being diagnosed in those who worked with the mineral on a regular basis and it became apparent that the only cause of these diseases was exposure to asbestos.
Definitive studies were conducted during the 1920s and 1930s, and though asbestos was identified as a hazard, American companies kept using it until the late 1970s, when the government was finally forced to admit that the mineral was toxic and that discontinuing its use was a wise step.
© 2010 PleuralMesothelioma.com | Last Modified Thursday, June 3rd, 2010 | | Editorial Staff | Disclaimer | Privacy Policy
